The Last Stand
by CocoaSampson
Summary: AU AH: Bella has been friends with Edward for awhile. But when insecurities get the best of her, she seems to lose the one thing she cares about: him.
1. BFFs

_Tada!!!!! __ Here goes my first debut into the world of Fanfiction! I've read and reviewed for over a year, and now__ I'm ready to write something!!_

_FYI I d__on't own anything…. It's all Stephenie Meyer's… that lucky duck… _

* * *

**BPOV**

My alarm clock was the only proof that it was, in fact, morning. The cloudy outside made it of no indication, seeing as how I could barley make out anything resembling a sunlight entering my window.

I woke up and groggily did my hair, trying to tame the annoying wavy mane until I tossed it into a messy bun. I threw on my jeans and a blue tee shirt, which had only just a few wrinkle spots on it, an improvement from the day before. I didn't really care too much about how I looked to most people; it was an indifferent attitude my mother taught me to have when she used to live with my dad and I. That was until she decided to leave us for a young baseball player and move to Florida. Nothing's been the same since that day in the courthouse when I was 7 years old, the day my mother gave my father full custody of me. I haven't really seen her since then.

The only thing that did comfort me throughout that long, agonizing day was the fact that my two best friends were there for me every step of the way. Edward and Alice Cullen were twins who'd I met back in Pre-K. I still remembered the day clearly; how I'd been helpless and crying in the corner by myself, my father seeming to abandon me with these strange adults I had no plans on listening to, and how a certain young boy had decided to pull a book out and sit next to me in that very same corner.

"Can I read you a story?" he had said quietly to me. "My mommy always reads me a story when I'm sad."

I whipped my eyes and looked over at him, a little surprised he could even make out the words on the page since I had no clue how to read yet. His honest green eyes seemed like he could be the one person I could trust in the strange place.

I nodded, still sniffling a little bit. "OK."

He opened the book, but before he started he smiled at me. "My name's Edward."

It was odd how nice I thought his smile was, but I managed a response. "I'm Bella."

And from there on, we were close friends. At snack and playtime, children from the other class came over. At that time, I found his sister to be a mischievous and hyper child who had already managed to finger-paint on other children's face, trying to give them a make over.

"I don't see what the big deal is," she had told Edward and me. "I thought I was being nice. I didn't know the paint would get into Jessie's eyes, honest."

They were great friends to me, and we spent many play dates with each other. Even through the "Boy's are icky" stage in second grade, Edward and I still managed to be close friends.

In third grade, Alice and I befriended Rosalie Hale, who was a little standoffish towards us. Actually, people in general, for that matter. She seemed to be a little self absorbed around other people, but Alice and I learned that she could actually be a comedic character at times, a more sophisticated sense of humor I envied, along with her perfect looks.

In middle school, though, Rosalie practically abandoned us for the limelight and popularity, and in no time, we found her to be our self proclaimed enemy. Actually, she was mostly just _my_ enemy, for reasons I didn't quite understand; she was always the pretty girl, able to get everyone to do what she pleased. Why in the world would she completely _despise_ plain old Bella Swan?

In high school, she'd tried mercilessly to try and go out with Edward, who was the only guy who'd ever said no to her. Every time I was in the same room with the tow of them, I noticed she was trying hard to flirt with him. If he ever talked to her, or any girl for that matter, a small bit of jealousy formed in me. It was all to do with the fact that not one of those girls understood how much of a gentlemen he was, or how kind he was towards everyone, no matter who they were. I remembered a Valentine's Day freshmen year that his mother, Esme –who loved me as if I were her own flesh and blood –had left over roses from decorating at the hospital where Carlisle, Edward and Alice's father, worked. Edward managed to collect about two dozen roses, and passed them out to every girl he saw at school.

Conveniently, none of them managed to get into the hands of any popular girl on the premises, and just so happened to fall into the hands of any nice and seemingly unnoticed girl at school.

"They aren't pity roses," he chuckled to me after I had called them just that as he finished passing them out, the last and final one held out to me. "They're roses for the girls who deserve them but didn't get any, that's all."

Seriously, this guy was like an angel.

Around that time was when I started taking notice of almost everything he did around me. Every smile he gave me, every time he made me laugh, every moment we spent together was something I came to cherish. He was my best friend, and I was pretty sure there wasn't any chance in the world that this fact would change, for the worse or better.

But that was then.

Alice, Edward and I were now in our junior year of high school, and so far, it hasn't gone all that well.

I mean, between tests, jobs, and taking care of your still lovesick father, who has time to acknowledge that you don't want to be best friends with someone anymore…

You, in reality, want to be way more than that to them.

* * *

_OK, so there was the first chapter… I'd appreciate it if you pressed that little violet button in the left corner and review for me… Constructed criticism, but NO flames, please!_

_Cocoa_


	2. Hero

_**Merci beaucoup**__ to all of you who read and reviewed!! I can't tell you how much I appreciate it, being the writing newbie and all! Hope you enjoy the next chapter!_

_Like I said, I don't own anything… It's all Stephenie's genius characters. _

* * *

**BPOV**

I tried to eat as quickly as I could; I was already falling behind because I had overslept, and I knew Edward would be there any minute to pick me up. I had a car of my own; a frumpy, slow pickup that was older than even my own parents, but a car that managed to take me from point A to point B. That is, if it didn't decide to spontaneously die on me, as it did every so often. It was for that reason that Edward had labeled the car "hazardous" and did his best to be the one to drive me places, just to make sure I was safe. I argued with him initially, and only finally agreed because it'd save me gas money.

That's what I told him, anyways. The truth was I didn't mind too much having him be the one to drive me places. It only let me see him more often.

At a late 7:40, I heard his Volvo honking its horn outside. I quickly grabbed my backpack and walked outside. Edward unlocked the doors, and I threw my bag into the back and entered the passenger seat.

"You know," he said as I buckled my seatbelt and he pulled out of my driveway, "if you knew we we're running a bit late, I had hoped you might actually put a little speed into getting to the car."

"I can't run," I said defensively. "I'll trip. I always trip."

"You don't _always_ trip."

I stared at him dubiously.

"Well, you stumble now and then, too."

"Thanks," I mumbled, staring out the window. "Way to point out the obvious." He didn't need to make me being the biggest klutz the state had ever had- maybe even on the entire west coast- worse than it already was.

I heard him quietly laugh; half of me wanted to smack the smile off his face, and the other half wanted to just stare at his perfect smile.

I resisted both.

When we finally arrived at school, the first bell was just going off. We had 5 minutes to get into first period before we were marked tardy.

"You better hurry to class, Bells," Edward told me as he passed me my bag. "You know how quick Mr. Mason is to give out detention slips."

I sighed. In other words, Edward was telling me that this was the time I should run. My first class was in building 3 while his was in building 6. Even with him parking towards building 4 to compensate for my lack of speed, it was still going to take me awhile to get there if I had planned on walking as I normally did. I jogged my way to class- only stumbling three times- checking in with Mr. Mason before going to my locker and retrieving my books for English.

The one thing that was good about English class was that we practically did nothing. Mostly, we had to read or study some basic Shakespeare or write up an essay, but besides that, we were given complete freedom. I had no problems with that since it was the only time I saw Alice besides lunch.

"Why are you late this morning?" she whispered curiously, as she pretended to study her vocabulary list.

"Ask your brother. He came about 15 minutes later than normal."

She shook her head and sighed irritably. "I swear, sometimes that boy's head is in the clouds." She spoke quick and harsh. "I came downstairs this morning to go to school, and he's sitting there staring at his cereal. I say, 'Ed, you're gonna be late.' He says, 'I was just thinking something.' Now, I'm ready to go, and frankly, I don't want to hear him at the moment, so I just start to leave quietly. But before I do manage to sneak away, he says, 'Do you suppose if you think about someone, over and over again, that it means something important?'"

I stared at her, waiting for her response. When she didn't say one and just stared at her book, I said, "What did you say to him?"

She shrugged her shoulders and snickered. "I told him to shut up and eat his cereal."

I leaned back in my seat away from her. I had hoped that she had gotten more details out of him; he had briefly mentioned a reoccurring dream 2 weeks ago, but I had thought nothing of it. But the fact that he was thinking repeatedly over the same person was definitely going to bother me a while.

A few minutes later, Alice turned around in her seat again to talk to me. "I think I'm going to ask him out today," she smiled, biting the corner of her lip.

I rolled my eyes. This was the same thing she'd been saying since October, which was 5 months ago. She had fallen pretty hard for a Jasper Whitlock, a laidback guy who Edward hung out with, seeing as how they were both on the school's varsity soccer team. She'd like him since freshmen year, when he had first moved here from the south, but never go the guts to ask him out.

She promised herself, however, that she would do something about it this year. So far, she still hadn't choked it out yet.

"You said that last month, you do realize," I reminded her.

"Yes, I know, but this is different."

I chuckled. "You also said _that_ last month, Alice."

"Oh, hush," she pouted. "I am going to do it. Today. At lunch."

I was skeptical, but knew I'd lose the argument. "We'll see."

Government went as usual, with Emmett managing to sidetrack Mr. Jefferson into an off track conversation that would end up with the teacher forgetting to collect our homework. Today, Emmett's theme was the difference between Roman and Greeks different systems of administration. Emmett McCarty was definitely the class clown and linebacker of the school's football team. He was also my self proclaimed "Big Bro", and if anyone bothered to try and ask me out, which only a few people did, he had to be the one to approve of them before anything happened.

Well, that's what he said would happen anyways. The day still hadn't arrived where someone I was actually attracted to decide to come my way. Mostly because every girl was already after him.

When trig class came around, it was time to actually pay attention, though Spanish right after it was a breeze. The only problem with the two periods was that Jessica Stanley was in both of them. Jess was one of Rosalie's closest allies, which also meant she carried on the "Hate Isabella Swan" attitude. At least in trig, she didn't talk with anyone in class. When Spanish came around, though, she was ready to whisper and pass notes all she wanted with the She-Devil herself. They made it abundantly obvious by there lack of volume control and comments about my hair that they didn't care for me a bit.

Edward met up with me after Spanish, as he always did, so that we could walk to lunch. I couldn't help but tell him the news about Alice's new plans.

"She told me she was about her plan a week ago," he told me as we walked into the cafeteria. "She was planning it for this day. She had a dream or something, I think."

"She's planning to ask him out finally over a _dream_?" I asked unconvinced. The usual Alice didn't need something to take place for her to spontaneously do something. But I guess when it came to Jasper, she was willing to do most anything to make the moment, whenever it did finally come, perfect.

"Weird, isn't it? Even for Alice," he laughed.

We grabbed our usual foods –my pepperoni pizza and drink and his vegetarian pizza and apple –and made our way to our lunch table, where we were the first to arrive.

I sat in my place across from him and fumbled with unscrewing the drink top. I suddenly saw his outreached hand next to my own and looked up at him.

"I can do it," I said quickly, but in an obvious exasperated voice.

He pulled his hand back as I tried my best, and I finally gave up in frustration and pushed the drink to him. As quickly as I assumed he would, he unwound the bottle cap with ease and returned it back to me.

"I loosened it up for you," I murmured before I took a sip.

He made his infamous half smile –the kind the girls in town had a habit of writing down in their blogs as soon as they got to a computer when they swore he was addressing it to them –and I felt my cheeks heat up at the sight.

"You don't always have to be the hero, Bella. I'm here to help, too."

I ripped my eyes apart from his and fiddled with the bottle top. "I know."

Even after nearly 14 years of knowing him, it seemed he'd always have an affect on me.

* * *

_N__ot the most convenient__ place__ to end a chapter, I know, but I wanted to stop it there. If you want to read more soon, please review. It makes me smile **and** motivates me!_

_Cocoa_


	3. Competition

_Thank you __soooo__ much to the people who reviewed; I appreciate it so much! __Sorry this took a little longer… vacation is over, so I had to sacrifice writing for studies. And don't worry; a plot is finally coming. There w__on'__t be too many more intros for characters after this chappie as I want to get the story going._

_I don't own any of this… sniffles  
_

* * *

**BPOV **

A few minutes after Edward and I had sat down with our food, Alice came over and sat next to me, scanning the cafeteria for something… or rather, someone.

"I don't think he's here yet, Al," Edward chuckled.

She sighed, twirling the straw to her strawberry milk back and forth, leaning onto her hand. "I know. I just want to get this over with, though. I don't even care if he says 'yes' or not." She immediately shook her head in a gesture to disagree with herself. "Scratch that; I do care. I just really want to go to the party tomorrow with him as my _date_, not as my friend. I just have to make that clear to him."

For the peppy Alice who usually was here, this Alice seemed stressed and downright _sad, _an emotion I hadn't seen her have too many times in my life.

She combed her hands through her jet black, pixie-esque hair. "I have to do this." She seemed to be telling herself that more than me or Edward.

Soon, the rest of our table came to sit. Emmett, Angela, Ben, and Tyler all gathered in. Angela was one of the few girls that, like me and Alice, didn't care about Rosalie in the least bit. For that reason, Angela had earned a few rumors of her own to be spread by the Plastic Posse. And yet, Angela never seemed to mind; all she wanted and cared about were good grades, her good friends, and Ben as her great boyfriend.

Jasper finally took his spot across from Alice.

"Hey, Jazz," Alice smiled, a little timidly.

He waved at her, ending his conversation with Edward and giving her his full attention. He smiled widely. "Hi, Alice."

She seemed to want to say something to him, but the words weren't escaping her mouth. She just stared at him as if she'd been struck by Cupid's arrows. I nudged her with my foot to try and encourage her to speak to him, but I immediately regretted the decision as I realized I felt tennis shoes instead of her heels.

Edward's head picked up from his food and looked at me a little confused, but more surprised than anything else. "Hmm?" he said chewing on his pizza.

I felt my face heat up like a fireball, and I knew that the rest of the table was taking a little notice of it, looking in the corner of their eye to see why I looked so stunned.

"N-nothing," I stuttered.

He smiled and swallowed his food. "You're not that great of a liar, you know."

I knew I had to think of something quick. "You have some cheese on your chin," was the only swift thought that came to mind, but only because it was true.

He rubbed his chin, but just barely missed it. "Is it off?" he asked me.

My embarrassment was replaced by laughter. "No it's still there."

He tried to get it again, but rubbed the left side instead of the right. "Now?"

I shook my head, smiling.

He leaned in towards me from across the table where he was sitting, his face only about six inches away from my own. "Why don't you get it off then?" His voice seemed to make my heart beat speed up.

My throat seemed to swell up and it was hard for me to speak. All I managed to mutter was an "OK," and that came out barely a whisper. My hand was just about to touch his face, when someone next to him grabbed my hand and pushed it away.

"Don't worry, Isabelle," a cynical voice told me, "I'll get it."

She came in between Emmett and Edward's seat and pulled Edward's face to look at her. She slowly removed the cheese from next to his mouth. After she took it off, she didn't move, and still held onto his face. "All better, Eddie?"

"Let go of me," Edward said quietly with a sour tinge to his voice.

Tanya Tóth was one of the most universally hated girls in school, even by me. She was beautiful, nearly as beautiful as Rosalie, but instead of Rosalie's goldilocks, Tanya had a short strawberry blonde bob that shaped her face perfectly. She was hated simply because she was the only girl who was able to truthfully state four words no one else was able to:

"I dated Edward Cullen."

It had been short lived –only lasting about a week –and over the summer before sophomore year, but it still happened.

Rosalie and Tanya acquired a hate-hate relationship with each other ever since the second semester of freshmen year when it seemed Tanya held the upper hand instead of vice-versa. As a result of her apparent beauty, since the day she arrived in Forks in the eighth grade from Alaska, Rosalie took the phrase "Keep your enemies closer" to heart, and allowed Tanya to hang around her.

She did as he asked and smiled to him. "Oh, don't act like that, Eddie." She played with the collar of his green polo shirt. "You love my attention, right?"

He brushed her hands away. "I don't actually, to be honest with you, not for a over a year."

She faked a pout. She seemed to try to do that as often as possible because, with most people, she was able to manipulate them as she wanted with facial expressions such as that. "No need to be mean, Eddie. I was just walking by." She looked up at my staring face and glared. "Is there something you need, Isabelle?"

"My name is Bella," I muttered to her, "and an apology would be nice."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, whatever." She turned, about to walk away, when Edward grabbed her arm. She turned back around and smiled to him. "Baby, you could've asked me to -"

He pulled her down and spoke into her ear. The sly smile was wiped off her face and replaced by a blank, angry expression.

She stood up and pulled her arm out of Edward's grasp. She looked at me and spat with venom, "I apologize… _Bella_." She turned on her heels and walked away, seeming very hard to suppress a scream.

"You're next to apologize," Edward said quietly. He seemed a little embarrassed as he stared down at the table.

I was confused. "What for?"

"For ever allowing me to date such a monster."

I put a small smile on my face. "You thought since she was new, she wouldn't be corrupted," I reasoned for him.

"Oh, how wrong I was!" he said, putting his hands to his face in frustration.

I could see her coming from far off, but I wasn't entirely sure if she was actually heading over to where we were sitting; she didn't make it a habit of visiting, especially if Tanya had already graced us with her presence.

Rosalie came behind him and stated soothingly, massaging his shoulder, "Tanya can be so trying, huh, Edward?"

He looked up at her, but then shut his eyes. I was afraid at first it was out of submission, but the crinkle on his brow made it apparent he held other feeling than that.

"Rosalie, _please_ go away." He sounded like he was nearly begging.

She crotched down and wound her arms around his neck, her mouth at his ear. "Not, now," she whispered, "not ever."

He pulled her arms off of him. "Go away, Rosalie." He wasn't begging anymore; it sounded like he was more inclined to enact drastic measures if she stayed any longer.

She got the message. "I'll see you after school," she said as she touched his cheek, then slowly walked away, strutting as if she was sure he was watching her.

But he didn't see her. As soon as she did leave, he laid his forehead on the table.

"I don't see what the big problem is," Emmett suddenly chimed in, still chewing on his food. He turned and watched Rosalie. "That's a prize right there, Ed."

"She is not a prize. She just…" I don't think he could find a polite word to describe her, so instead he picked up his head and said, "She used to be a good girl, a good friend. I don't know what happened."

Emmett ruffled Edward's bronze hair. "You still got me, bro." He held out his fist to him.

Edward managed a smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes, and pounded Emmett's hand. "Yeah, you're right."

Emmett snickered. "Plus, who real needs other lady friends when you've got Bella?" They both looked over at me. "I mean, she's the greatest, isn't she?" He smiled widely.

I knew exactly what he was doing because he had done it so many times before. Edward only made it worse by smiling wider, it finally reaching his eyes, and adding, "A very true statement; she _is_ the greatest."

And of course, I did exactly as they wanted me to do: I blushed like crazy.

I pulled the collar of my tee shirt up to my nose as they laughed. "You're doing that on purpose," I complained.

They both laughed jovially. "It's not to embarrass you, Bella," Edward smiled. "We just enjoy seeing it so much."

I couldn't help but smile a little at that and pulled my shirt back down.

A small hand suddenly shook my shoulder violently. I turned quickly to Alice. "Oh my gosh," she said excitedly, her smile never seeming to be as bright as it was that moment. "You totally missed it. If you weren't so concerned with your little death match with Tanya and Rose, you would've heard Jasper agree to go to the party with me. It was like total déjà vu; exactly how I dreamed it."

I smiled. "That's great, Alice."

She seemed to float on cloud nine for a few minutes as we talked about less important things, until she said, "So, who are you going to go with?"

I almost choked on my drink. "What date? Why do I have to have a date?" I was overly defensive.

She rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Bella. You always fly solo for these things. Can't you go with someone just this once so that we both can have dates?"

I shook my head. No guy wanted to go out with me, even if I begged. That is, except for one guy, who I had no interest in going with and had already denied days before. "I'm not going with Mike Newton."

"Who said anything about Mike Newton? Just some guy. I wish you'd believe that there are souls out there who'd love to go to the dance with you."

"Bella," Emmett said, "I really don't think it'd be so hard to find someone. I've heard guys talking about you in the locker room before, and it was never in the most… innocent sense, as Edward would say," he chuckled.

I knew he was lying, but something in me seemed to want to go with the sincerity in his voice.

"You can go with me, if you want," Edward said, as if he'd been talking about any old subject.

"I don't want a pity date," I mumbled.

He laughed. "It's not a pity date; I'm just taking the girl who deserves it."

The Valentine's Day incident ran through my head as he said those words. And all I could say was, "Alright."

I didn't think the party would exactly count as a date for the two of us –I actually _knew_ it wouldn't count as a date –but something in me told me that this wouldn't just be another best friend date for the two of us, not the average one at least. Maybe something would happen.

I'd never been so excited about an upcoming Friday night in my life.

* * *

_And so, the chapter is finished. Longer, don't you think? __Thoughts, comments??__ Write me a review!!_

_Cocoa_


	4. Party

_Terribly sorry for the long vacation… School's been kind of rough lately… but I'm still here!! Read, enjoy, and review!!_

* * *

"Alice, I cannot wear this," I stated simply. 

She put her hands on her hips, seeming frustrated with me. "At least try it on."

Alice and I were currently in her room the day of the party. After she declared my wardrobe having "no suitable party attire present," she took the liberty of going out and buying my outfit, if you could even call it that. She had bought me a blue halter top that seemed similar to one Britney Spears would've worn in her early "Hit Me Baby" years and a denim mini I argued would make me look like a prostitute. As if that weren't bad enough, she'd also gone out and bought me matching stiletto heels to go along with the whole charade.

"I'm not trying this on. It looks so... so-"

"Sexy?" she smiled.

"I was thinking more along the lines of skanky, to be honest."

Alice's eyes widened and her mouth dropped. "I'm going to wear a matching red one, and I would _not_ call it skanky."

"Of course you could pull it off," I said defensively. "You can pull almost anything off. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not nearly as confident in myself as you are."

"Oh, but you are!" she smiled and sat down on her bed eagerly, looking up at me holding the clothes on a hanger. "The way you stood up to Tanya the other day was amazing. 'My name is Bella, and an apology would be nice.' That was golden." She sighed. "You really are more confident than you realize."

I shrugged my shoulders. I wasn't buying anything she said, but definitely didn't have the energy to argue.

"Just try it on!" she chuckled, rolling her eyes.

I grunted and walked slowly to her bathroom.

After putting the outfit on and looking at myself in the mirror, I came to the conclusion that I didn't look horrible in it. In fact, I deliberated whether to call my outfit pretty decent on me. The halter was short, but not short enough that it was like a crop top; it just barely showed by belly button. The skirt turned out to be the perfect length to show off enough leg without resembling a lady of the night. And I guess if I tried hard enough, I wouldn't lose my balance too easily in the heels, seeing as how they were only two inches off the ground.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," I called out, fixing my hair in the mirror so it seemed to Alice that I was putting a little bit of effort into looking nice tonight.

I heard the door crack open and her soft foot steps coming inside. I picked my head up from the mirror as I started to say, "What do you think about-" but I immediately cut myself off.

Mostly due to the fact that I was face to face with Edward instead of Alice.

I stood frozen, not exactly sure what to do. All my confidence went down the sink's drain as he stared at me, looking a little surprised by my attire as he looked me up and down.

"Um," he started, "hey. I was just getting her toothpaste. I couldn't find mine in my bathroom."

"Y-yeah," I stuttered. I went to the sink behind me and grabbed Alice's Colgate, and as if it were truly fate, the worst thing happened as I walked over to him.

I tripped.

And not even over something really, like the end of the carpet, or even my foot getting caught in a tile crack. No, I tripped over my own _foot_, giving the accident no justification. I was quickly sent hurtling to my pending humiliation before the eyes of the one person in the world I never wanted to be embarrassed in front of.

Instead of my skull cracking, however, I soon felt hands secure themselves under my arms, supporting me just before my face hit the floor.

He picked me up off the ground and onto my own two feet. "Are you alright?" he asked me, still holding onto me tightly as if I were a child that had just fallen off a bike. The concern was evident in his jade green eyes.

"I'm fine," I managed to say, my cheeks starting to heat up.

He must've taken notice to this as he let go slowly and smiled to me. "You have to be more careful, Bella. What if I'm not there to pick you up one day?"

I wanted to stare down at my feet, but his gaze was piercing mine, and there was no way I was going to miss a second of his smile.

"I hope that doesn't happen," I said quietly, not realizing I had said it out loud. I quickly covered it up with an, "I mean, I think I'd pay a lot more visits to the hospital if you weren't around."

I didn't think that it was a sufficient enough cover up, and was about to say more until he took the toothpaste out of my hand slowly and walked backwards out the door, the smile still there. "Right you are," he chuckled at me. He was about to turn when he said quickly, leaning against the doorframe but staring dead at me, "You look very nice, Bella." With that, he turned and left.

I was trying desperately to contemplate what had just happened.

Alice was right there within moments. "I had a feeling you were going to like the outfit," she smiled.

"Why am I getting the impression that this was somehow planned out?" I asked her, glowering at her smile.

"I didn't plan it exactly. I knew it was going to happen, though."

"How?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. I just knew."

I walked out the bathroom so that she could change. After I laid my clothes on her bed -and was sure she had shut the door -I looked under her bed for my blue ballet flats to change into. As I went to go grab a shoe, I noticed something very odd under her bed.

Toothpaste.

"Yeah, I bet you knew it was going to happen," I muttered under my breath. Sometimes, I really think that girl has too much fun trying to play matchmaker.

After she changed and attacked my hair and makeup, we heard Jasper beep his horn. She turned to me excitedly and grabbed for my hand, just as I was about to pop an M&M into my mouth. "Edward, Jazz is here," she called out as she pulled me to the front door.

I heard steps coming down and turned around to see Esme Cullen, their mother, come down the stairs alongside Edward. He was wearing a black dress shirt that contrasted his pale skin almost too nicely and wore a pair of light blue jeans.

"You were going to leave without saying goodbye?" Esme said to Alice in mock sadness.

Alice rolled her eyes and managed a smile as she went to hug her mother, still holding onto me. "Bye, mom."

"Don't let them get into any trouble, Bella," she smiled at me, "especially Alice. You know how she gets around Jasper," she winked at me.

I laughed. Esme always had the knack of finding things out about us, no matter how hard we tried. I was pretty sure she knw enough of my business, even. With this fact, it was clear that Alice's little crush had not gone unnoticed.

Alice shot a glare to Edward, who was also laughing. "You told her?" she accused him.

He just smiled and walked past us. He opened the door. "C'mon, Bella."

I slipped out of Alice's grasp and walked over to him, as if he were luring me somewhere, and I, who was too willing to go with him anywhere, followed. He held the screen door open for me as I walked out, and I could vaguely hear Alice arguing with Esme about something, most likely something about being safe and not trying anything she wouldn't do.

He opened Jasper's back door for me as I slid into the back with Edward.

Jasper turned and looked at me, similar to how Edward had earlier. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that Alice picked out your outfit today. Am I right?" he laughed.

"That would be correct," I said quietly. _Was I going to get comments like this the whole night?_

He turned back around. "You better hope Mike doesn't find you like that. He'll go insane with jealousy you showed up with Edward instead of him."

"He'll be like that anyways," I said, "no matter what I'm wearing."

Alice came into the car and slammed the door, crossing her arms across her stomach, her cherry belly button ring somewhat visible.

"What's wrong?" Edward asked her. "You could've broken the car door."

She turned around from the passenger seat and stuck her tongue out at him as Jasper pulled out of the driveway.

She looked at me. "My mom got kind of mad about my chosen ensemble, not yours though. She says you look great. But no worries." She took a deep breath. "I won't let any disagreements about my outfit get in the way of my night." She gazed over at Jasper in a semi-Cloud Nine state. "It's our first date."

He turned and smiled at her.

"Please get a room," Edward said in a disgusted state.

Alice turned in her seat and gave him a death stare. "I don't even know how we're related sometimes, Eddie." She turned back around.

He looked at me and mouthed, "I don't either."

I laughed.

"Oh, sure, just go on his side why don't you, Bella, even though we've known each other since _forever_."

He scooted over next to me to talk to Alice better, but not without his leg touching my bare one, which didn't go unnoticed by me.

"If that's the case," he spoke, "then I've known her for _eternity_, seeing as how I was friends with her first."

"Were not!" Alice argued like a seven year old who didn't want to be proven wrong.

"Were, too." Then suddenly, he put an arm around my shoulders and pulled me next to him. "Isn't that right, Bella?" he whispered into my ear.

Goosebumps went up and down my back at the sound of his voice so close to my ear._ He's just a friend. He's only doing this as a friend,_ I kept repeating to myself.

But as a friend, he was holding unto me pretty closely.

"He's right, Alice," I managed to say.

"I read her a story and everything that day. I made her stop crying. I don't recall you doing such things for her. I'm the better friend."

I looked over at him for the first time in our new proximity and noticed we just barely three inches away from each other. "You remember that?" I said quietly.

"Of course I remember," he chuckled, giving me that infamous smile all the girls of Forks fawned over.

We finally arrived at Tyler's house, where we saw loads of cars covering his lawn and up and down the street. People were still arriving, so I knew we weren't the last to arrive. That gave me a little comfort; I wanted the least amount of attention possible, though so far, I hadn't succeeded.

We all got out of the car and were just about to enter the house when I was suddenly pulled into a hug from behind me, being flown off my feet and around in a circle.

It only took one guess to know who exactly was the person to scold. "Emmett, put me down!" I screamed.

He finally did. "I was afraid you were going to back out, little sis. It's not everyday you agree to attend a house party. Whoa!" He backed up and looked at me as Jasper and Edward stood next to him. "Aww, you look all grown up." He rustled my hair playfully. "Did Alice play dress up with you again?"

"Why can't I just look nice on my own?" I complained, brushing his hand back. "What if I said I chose this outfit?"

He laughed and grabbed my arm to go in. "I wouldn't believe you."

I pouted as the dance music shot my senses as I walked through the door. People were covering every corner of the room, and I was pretty sure that the whole junior class –along with quite a few seniors and a couple of sophomores –was present.

Alice came next to me and grabbed my hand. "Let's find Angie," she said loudly in my ear trying to talk over the music.

I nodded as I weaved through the crowd looking for her. We finally found her dancing with Ben, and she quickly came up and hugged us.

"Bella, Alice, great to see you. Bells, I wasn't sure you were coming." She stood back and looked at me. "Great outfit choosing, Ally. Bella looks amazing."

"Thanks," we both said.

A new song came on, and Alice jumped up elatedly. "Let's dance!"

For my usually klutzy self, I did alright on the floor, but that may have been because I knew everyone around me pretty well, and I didn't very much care if they saw me stumble a couple of times.

When the music went off, it was replaced by a slow tune. Alice immediately left for Jasper, and Angela went into Ben's arms. I went to keep the wall company, and took notice as some of my fellow peers looked and whispered at the sight of me, mostly the guys.

"You've made quite an impression on the minds of the boys here," a velvet voice said, coming to stand next to me.

"I feel like an exhibit or something," I admitted to him, "just on display for everyone to look at."

Edward laughed. "Think of it as flattery. If I go by another guy and hear him say how hot Swan looks tonight, I may go insane."

My cheeks started heating up. He was the only one I wanted to ever say that about me, but it seemed everyone else was saying it except him.

But he did say I looked _nice_.

"Why don't we try and show them that you're more than some sexy junior," he held out his hand to me, "shall we?"

_Wait! Did he just… Did he just call me sexy?!_

I took his hand slowly as he pulled me onto the floor. As soon as we got there, he moved his hands to go around my waist as we started to sway together. I put my arms around his neck. For some reason, being there with him just felt so... right, like I was supposed to be there. Slowly, I rested my head against his chest. I felt completely at ease being there with him.

When the song ended, I pulled away from him reluctantly. "Thanks for the dance," I said quietly to him.

"My pleasure," he smiled brightly.

We looked at each other in silence as he opened his mouth to say something.

But instead, a voice from behind me said curiously, "Bella?"

* * *

_Well, who is this person? One of Bella's classmates, suddenly taking notice of her? A jealousy Edward Cullen fangirl about to rip her to shreds? One of her ex-boyfriends, even? Hmm… Take a guess while you review!_

_Cocoa_


	5. Visitor

_Sorry I haven't written anything in a while…. It's not that I got stumped or forgot about it; it's just I've had NO time to write anything. I promise, though, I won't ever abandon this fic! Thx for sticking with me this far! Now… onto the rest of the story… starting with the cliffy…_

* * *

"_Bella?"_

I turned reluctantly, but only because I could vaguely remember the sound of the voice from early years in my life.

"Jacob?" I asked curiously.

He looked different from the last time I saw him, but I could still recognize his face. Jacob Black's father, Billy, had been friends with Charlie since what seemed like forever. They were fishing buddies, and did so every chance they could. When I was little and after my mom left us, Charlie started feeling guilty about leaving me to some random baby sitter, so he instead decided to have me go to the Cullen's house for the duration of their fishing, which I didn't mind at all.

The problem came, however, when Billy decided one weekend that Jake and I should spend quality time together at the Cullen's while they went fishing.

That had to be the worst weekend of my life.

Edward, Alice, and I were ten while Jake was barely nine years old. He clung unto me tightly whenever we were together -metaphorically and physically. With Edward and Alice being my closest friends, I wanted to spend my time with them, not some little nine year old. But I never expressed that; I knew better than to do anything to my father's best friend's kin. Who knew what the punishment would be if he learned I locked Jacob in the laundry room, as I sincerely wanted to at some moments.

That task was left to Edward.

I hadn't told him to do anything. Actually, I had told Edward specifically not to start anything with him. And yet, about 45 minutes into our stay, Jacob had wound up screaming his head off in the Cullen laundry room after we were supposed to be playing hide and go seek.

After Esme finally came to the rescue and opened the door, Edward was told to go to his room, but not without Jacob shoving him into the wall. Edward took offense to this, and although he says now that he's a pacifist for the most part, he was not demonstrating the same views that afternoon. They tossed as children often do, and Carlisle ended up being the one to separate them, Jake into a spare room, and Edward into his own room.

I found one thing interesting, however. Although Jake went off silently until the doors were shut, where he insisted on getting a phone to call his father, Edward was vocal up until his door was shut. He was muttering how Jake's fighting methods were similar to those of a cowardly puppy; all the noise and fuss, but no real action.

Only a ten year old Edward would compare Jake to a dog.

So now, suddenly seeing the once frail and helpless Jacob to the current tall, muscular, and not too bad looking Jake was a bit offsetting.

He smiled brightly down at me, and although his appearance may say otherwise, he was still the childhood playmate I knew, as was evident in his large, almost black eyes.

Without warning, he stepped up to me and sent me into a tight hug, only surpassed by Emmett's bear squeezes.

"Need to breath, Jake," I muttered quietly, struggling to get my voice out.

He laughed quietly into my hair before finally letting go. He looked down at me with a look of pure happiness in his eyes. "It's so great to see you, Bella. How long has it been?"

I racked my brain for an answer. "I don't know. Eight years, I think?"

He looked stunned. "Half my life practically without seeing you."

I laughed. "How could you ever survive?"

His tone was a little more serious than my own when he spoke with a small smile. "I don't know how I did."

Little goose bumps were threatening to come down my arms for reasons I didn't understand. I changed the subject quickly.

"What are you doing here?" I asked him.

"Seth heard about some party over in Forks, so I'm here with him. He's two years younger than me and doesn't have a car, so I had to take him. I didn't really expect to see you here." He looked me up and down, probably investigating my outfit as everyone else at the party was. "I never took you as the party girl type when we were growing up." He chuckled. "I thought you were a nice girl."

I was a little defensive. "I'm _not _a party girl. Alice made me put this outfit on." The mention of one of the Cullen's brought my attention to a different one, who I hoped to see as I turned around, but he was nowhere in sight.

"He left a while ago," Jake said from behind me, "while I was hugging you."

I turned back to Jacob and scowled a little. "Please don't start anything."

He smiled mischievously. "I wouldn't dare." He looked up behind me and glared, the smile faltering from his lips. "Is that his girlfriend?" he asked curiously, then chuckled dryly. "Or rather _girlfriends_?"

I turned around once more and saw Edward's face in the middle of a sea of girls –girls wearing outfits as skimpy, if not more so, as my own –giggling mindlessly at whatever he was saying.

"You know," I heard Jacob say in my ear as I stared at the scene, "I never thought of him as much of a player. He seemed too much of a softie last time I saw him."

"He isn't a player," I spoke quietly. There was no determination behind my words. It was as if I was insignificant to him compared to all those girls, all those _pretty _girls. He may have said I was beautiful and we may have slow danced and he may have very nearly kissed me –or at least I was telling myself he was –but it all seemed negated at the sight of him with them.

"Are you with him?" Jake asked.

I turned quickly back to him, snapping back to reality. "No, I'm not. We're just friends."

He smiled. "Good."

I was confused with his comment, but before I could ask what he meant, I heard someone call his name. He turned to what seemed like a younger version of himself –both of them being Native Americans with long black hair pulled into a ponytail –and was most likely Seth. "We gotta go, Jake. The harpy ratted us out."

The nickname seemed familiar to me. "Leah?" I asked.

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Yeah. His big sis tells Billy everything, I swear."

I laughed a little. "I never took you as the bad boy rebel, Jake."

He shrugged his shoulders and smiled. "It grows on me."

"Jake!" Seth was growing impatient.

"I'm coming! Jeez." He sighed and looked at me. "It's been great seeing you, Bella."

"You, too, Jake."

He stood awkwardly for a moment before digging in his pocket for his cell phone and handing it to me. "I have your home number, but I think your dad would assume I'm calling for him instead of you."

I smiled nervously and put my cell number in, the one Esme got me for my 16th birthday by Edward's request, who complained that I wasn't in the 21st century unless I had a cell phone.

I handed it back to him slowly.As he took it out of my hand, I felt like something noteworthy was suddenly happening, something unsteady that was messing with the normal balance of my life.

But all I said to him was a "Keep in touch."

He smiled as he walked backwards towards Seth. "I will. Count on it."

--

It was Sunday afternoon, and I was currently sitting on my bed, going over the weekend in my head.

The ride back that Friday was awkward between Edward and me, the silence seeming deafening. I wasn't sure what to say. 'Hey, Edward, did you see me give my cell phone number to your childhood enemy while you and your posse were getting along wonderfully?'

I doubt that would go over too well.

My cell phone suddenly went off in my pocket. I dug it out, and a mysterious number was on it.

I picked up uncertainly. "Hello?"

"Hi, Bella," a deep voice said to me.

I smiled. "Hello, Jacob."

"What are you doing later today?"

I sighed. "Busying myself with wonderful pre-calc homework."

He laughed. "Well, when you are finished with that task, would you like to head down to La Push? You haven't been here awhile."

I tried to think of anything holding me back; Alice and Angela didn't call me, so we probably weren't going anywhere. Edward and Emmett didn't call to have me tag along somewhere with them.

I was free.

"Yeah, that actually sounds like a great idea."

"I'll see you soon then, Bella."

"Later Jake." I hung up the phone.

This day may get more interesting than some math homework.

* * *

_It's shorter than I anticipated, but I really wanted to get this out. Lots of you were right on the "mystery person." The next chappie's going to at least have a little of Edward POV. __**REVIEW PLEASE!!**_

_Cocoa _


	6. Fight

_Before I start, I encourage all you Twilighters to listen to _"**Phases: A Twilight Podcast**" _on the internet. Check out the site to. It's fabulous. Plus, there's an Aussie guy on it. How cool is that?_

_Done with advertising. Thanks for the reviews! Here's the next chapter in Edward's POV, as promised!_

* * *

**EPOV**

I had a feeling Monday was going to be a bizarre day. If not that, then at the least bit just a little off. It was something in the air I breathed that morning that signaled for an unwanted event to happen, and it wasn't Alice's acidic smelling nail polish, either.

And I was completely right.

I picked Bella up as I did everyday for school. She seemed different when she got into the car, but I couldn't quite see exactly how. She was visibly a little tired, her eyes seeming half shut, but a little jittery as she sat.

"You alright?" she said looking at me, seeming puzzled as she cocked her head to the side, an appealing habits of hers.

I shook my head, snapping out of my thoughts. "I'm fine. How are you?"

"Great," she smiled brightly, seeming chirpier than usual.

I pulled out of the driveway and started for school. "Great? How?"

"I dunno. I just feel really…" she seemed to be trying to find the appropriate word, "happy, I guess would be correct."

"For no reason at all?" I questioned.

She shook her head, but her cheeks began to redden, an indicator that was 99.9 percent accurate in telling me if she was lying or not.

She was failing miserably.

I chuckled at the observation and decided I'd press her for details at a later time.

I didn't see Bella again until after my Latin and her Spanish class. We walked side by side together in silence.

"Are you alright, Bells?" I asked curiously. She seemed like she was zoning out.

Now she was the one snapping back to reality. "I'm okay," she smiled up to me.

"What did you do yesterday?"

She was silent a moment. "Nothing of interest," she said quietly.

"I called you, but you didn't pick up, so I came over to the house, but no one was home."

"Oh," she simply said.

I stared at her a moment. "I left a note."

"I saw it."

I rolled my eyes, not understanding her behavior. "If you saw it, why didn't you call me?"

She looked up at me, glaring angrily. "I saw the note," she said defensively as we waited in line in the cafeteria, getting our trays. "It was on my dresser. It said, 'Couldn't find you. Call me. Later, Edward.' God, I didn't give you my spare key to my house so that you could leave me stupid notes in my room." She was observably ticked off with me, and I didn't even think I did anything to set her temper off.

"You still didn't answer me," I pressed on impatiently. "Why didn't you call me back?"

"I didn't get home until 11:30. Would you have rather I woke you up?"

I was stunned. Not by her heavy sarcasm, but the fact that she returned home so late. She hardly ever stayed out passed ten at night, and even if she did make it back late, it was always because she was with Alice or me. Now that there was a third party involved, I was curious.

"Where were you out that late? How did Charlie not ground you?"

She looked at me wide eyed and gaped. "I don't have to answer to you."

"How do you figure that?"

"Because you're not my father!" she was practically yelling at me, receiving a few looks from people in the cafeteria.

"I realize that. Since I'm not your father, I can't ask you who you were with?"

"No."

"And why not?"

"Because it's none of your damn business, that's why not!"

Now the whole lunch room seemed to be silent, but I wasn't paying much attention to them. I was busy staring down at a very red faced Bella. But, unlike every other day, her blushing cheeks weren't caused by me giving her compliments. She was genuinely angry with me; I'd never seen her so irritated with me before.

Trying to get back on her good side, I said quietly, "Bella, I was only-"

"Don't 'Bella' me! You're so protective and never trust me. I don't need you to make sure I'm always safe. My _boyfriend_ can do that for you." She grabbed a drink and quickly went in line to pay for it.

_Boyfriend?_

At this time, I figured Bella was trying to make a dramatic exit, but I wasn't having any of that. It may have been just my stomach because I hadn't eaten at all that day, but I could've sworn that word stabbed my heart.

_Boyfriend?_

I cut people in line and grabbed her arm –not roughly; I was always gentle with Bella –and turned her to me. "What boyfriend?" The acidic word pierced my mouth as it left it.

She yanked away. "Again, none of your business." She handed the lunch lady money.

"You don't like anyone at school. You said so just the other day. I doubt you would spontaneously go out with someone. That's not like you. And-"

"You know nothing of me," she spat.

I ignored her comment, just because it was such a prosperous statement, it didn't even make sense. "You didn't go anywhere on Saturday. And at the party, you only talked to Alice, me and…" I trailed off as horror washed through me. I shook my head in disbelief. "You can't be serious right now, Bella."

She smirked. "Guess you're best friend is my new boyfriend." She got her change and walked to the lunch table, her back to me the entire way.

Bella… Jacob… _together_?

I suppose I got a little angry, since Eric Yorkie said behind me, "You alright, Edward?"

"Peachy," I spoke through clenched teeth, my nails practically embedding themselves into the plastic tray. Putting it down on an ice cream cooler, I angrily walked clear out the lunch room and into the hallway.

I couldn't believe this was happening, and that was the problem, I realized.

It was completely selfish of me to think Bella would never have a boyfriend. Even though I loved her since we were children, I had even gone out with Tanya. To think Bella –a beautiful, intelligent, and very much wanted girl at school –would never agree to go out with someone was a silly assumption, an error on my part.

It just bothered me that of all the people, the love of my life was going out with my arch nemesis. That, and the fact that she didn't seem to want to talk to me anytime soon.

I leaned my back against a locker, my head down in frustration.

I felt long fingers go through my hair, and a dark voice whisper in my ear, "Need a pick me up?"

I opened my eyes, but already knew the voice as she looked at me patiently. "Hi, Rose." I didn't have the energy to shoo her away as I always did.

"I heard you and Bella back there," she said in a sympathetic tone, one I was not accustomed to. "What are you doing, causing a scene like that? That's my job," she smiled and chuckled.

I laughed. It reminded me of the good times we used to have with each other, back before she got too much of the limelight blinding her.

But maybe…

"So," she said, "I'm heading to that pizza parlor that opened up a couple of weeks ago after school. You wanna come with?"

I'm not sure what drove me to say it. Maybe it was my broken heart of self pity. But either way, I told Rosalie three words I never thought I'd utter to her:

"It's a date."

* * *

_Tsk, tsk, Edward… What will Bella think?_

_**Review!**_

_Cocoa_


	7. Reality

_Thanks for reviewing the last chapter. I'm glad you guys seemed to like EPOV. Now, let's try and hear Bella's…_

* * *

BPOV

_I can't believe I just did that._

This sentence ran through my head at least one hundred times before I came and sat at my lunch table, my back towards Edward.

Alice looked at me wide eyed. "What's wrong?" she said in a worried tone. The other people at our table knew that I was distraught –probably from the scene I had made –and only gave me careful glances now and then, leaving Alice to comfort me.

I stared blankly at my tray. "I think I might've messed up, Alice," I said quietly, almost to myself.

"Bella what are you-"

I looked at her as the tears threatened to fall from eyes as they so desperately seemed to want to. "I lied to Edward," I stifled.

She shook her head. "Start from the beginning."

I told Alice everything. How I had agreed to go see Jake at the La Push Reservation; how we spent the entire day together, catching up on old times; how we sat next to each other, enjoying a late night bonfire with some of his relatives and friends.

And how I could only think of Edward.

"I didn't want to be there," I said to her, "not like how Jake assumed I was. Jake is my old friend from childhood. That's all."

"So is Edward," Alice pointed out, "isn't he?"

I shook my head. "I can hardly even think of the word to call him, Alice."

"He's your best friend."

"You say it as if I want it to only be that way," I mumbled.

I told her more. About how I'd gotten the note in my room late at night and thought it was sweet of him to make sure I was okay; how I was only jittery that day because, the day before, I had finally come to terms with the fact that Edward was the only one I wanted.

And, of course, how I had gotten so angry with him.

"He made it seem as if I need him to only protect me, and that's all," I whispered to her. "It made me feel like a little china plate rather than his equal. You know how I hate it when he does that." He did so on many occasions, seeing me as less of a person and more like an antique. I never could figure out why he did this, so my conclusion was that he didn't think of me equal to himself at times. I was lowly, while he was a perfect angel.

I played with my bottle, which I didn't have the courage to ask someone else to open for me. "He seems to not even trust me. Doesn't he know he'd be the first person I'd call if I needed help, before an ambulance would be dialed, before even my own father? It seems like I'm just an object to him. At any rate, I don't think people can fall in love with a porcelain doll, so it's not like this would ever go anywhere."

A look of pity went across Alice's face. "Oh, Bella," she said sympathetically.

I chuckled dryly. "And on top of all of that, I lied to him. I said I had a boyfriend, just because I was angry." I shook my head, a tear crawling slowly down my cheek. "I told the biggest lie yet."

Alice placed a reassuring pat on my shoulder. "I'm sure everything will be fine. Let him blow off some stem, then apologize later."

I nodded my head. That was the only thing it seemed I could do. My heart was already broken; what else had I to lose?

The remainder of the day was pretty much the same on the agony scale.

For one, Edward never came back to lunch. At least, I didn't see him come back to our table. I couldn't imagine he'd be sitting anywhere else.

On top of that, although we sat side by side in biology, you would think we were on two different sides of the world by the way he was ignoring me. Not one word did he say to me. Even when I mustered up the courage fifteen minutes through to ask him for a piece of paper, he didn't do anything. It may have been because I whispered it, though I'm sure with his good hearing ability, he'd still hear me.

As if gym wasn't hard enough for me, the stress going though me only made the period go that much slower. Coach Clapp yelled at me too many times to count, and by Tanya's laughter, she couldn't seem to get enough of my torture as I tried to serve in volleyball. I suppose Mike helped a little, at least at distracting me; there was no helping my coordination whatsoever.

I braced myself for what was to come as I walked through the school parking lot. I had no idea what to expect. I wasn't going to let the silence flood us once again.

I'd tell him the truth, I decided.

Not the whole truth, of course, because I doubted I ever could. I'd tell him how I was with Jacob at the reservation, and how I had lied about him being my boyfriend.

I knew one question that would come up from him.

_"Why?_" I imagined him asking me. _"Why would you deliberately lie about him being you boyfriend?"_

What would I say then?

Would I tell him it was because I was foolish, and let the thought slip through my anger, as I told Alice?

Would I say it was because I felt I really didn't need him anymore, and that was the most convenient way to tell him?

Or would I simply sigh and say what I really wanted to:

"I'm angry that I don't seem good enough for you to care about like I care about you; not like a best friend."

Because, in reality, that's all it seemed to come down to: my insecurities. At that party, I had hoped so much that he may have liked me, just a little more than I thought he did. But when I remembered him with all those girls, Jacob in my ear, asking about his _girlfriends_. Every girl wanted him. Prettier, smarter, richer, nicer girls were out there for his choosing.

What did I have? Muddy brown hair with muddy brown eyes; cheeks that reddened whenever they wanted, especially in the most unwanted situations; stubby nails, old clothes, a boring voice, and absolutely no grace. That's all I seemed to have.

I saw the silver Volvo from afar, and seemed to walk even slower to it. What was I going to say?

If there were even a slight chance that he'd say yes, I knew I'd go for it. I would ask him, most likely coming out in a rushed, blunt question that school girls ask boys on the playground during recess: "Do you like me, like me?"

That was how it would come out, knowing my luck. My face would turn red all over, and I would dismiss the sentence immediately, saying that it was nothing. He would laugh and smile _that_ smile, and he would answer the question. And even if he said no, even though it would probably destroy me, I would eventually realize that _"Edward and Bella, best friends"_ was something I never wanted to lose, no matter how in love with him I may get, no matter how much it may hurt me.

I smiled at the thought of confronting him, in some way or another. I wasn't going to do it, of course, because I doubted he could ever think of me in a way besides his best friend. I was simply going to tell him what I told Alice. But I had the feeling that if I were to say anything about our relationship going somewhere different, if he had disagreed, we'd still have us, those two people that even an unrequited love couldn't separate.

And if he were to say yes… If it was possible that he could think of me in such a light…

My stomach was doing flips at the thoughts.

I walked quicker to the car, ready to get the apology out of the way so that I could be with him again, suddenly missing his company. My hand went toward to passenger door handle, but to my surprise, someone else took a hold of it.

A subtly tan, French manicured hand that was unmistakable. I stared up at the blond haired, blue eyed woman as I stood in disbelief.

"Excuse me, Bella," she said, seeing to suppress the normal venom that was in her tone.

I looked up at her. "What do you mean 'excuse me'? Where are you going in this car?"

She smiled. "I suppose Eddie didn't tell you, then."

"Tell me what, Rosalie?"

The window went down on the passenger window, and I saw Edward's eyes suddenly feel like daggers at the sight of me.

"What are you doing here?" he spat.

I was afraid. He'd never spoken to me like that, such hatred filling his tone. More than even Rosalie and Tanya usually gave me.

Like I had done to him at lunch.

"I'm going home." I tried my best to make my voice sound even, and it only broke once.

He shook his head. "Not in this car, you're not."

I couldn't believe his rudeness. "Why not?"

"I'm going out with Rosalie, not that it's any of your business."

I looked from his to Rose, who was smirking at me, pride filling her posture. O looked back at him and shook my head. "You can't really be going out with her, Edward."

He unlocked the door and Rosalie slipped in gracefully.

"I guess your best friend is my new girl friend," he smiled before speeding away in the car.

I stood in the parking lot, disbelief smothering everything in me. I'd done this to him. After I'd finally realized that I was truly in love with him, I drive him to the point that he couldn't stand me. H had just sped off with the girl who, to him, was good enough to go out with him, just as my fears had told me. Any chance of my aspiration, my _"Edward and Bella, soul mates"_ were scratched out, only leaving little tears and shreds left of the dream.

He hated me.

And I had done this to myself.

* * *

_Do you feel bad for her, or do you think she had it coming? Is Edward losing his mind? Review, please!_

_Cocoa._


	8. Broken

_Here I am. Thanks so much for all the great reviews... I have over 50 now!! _

_No real A/N, but I do ask this of you: __**All of you like my writing PLEASE check out my new fic, "Uncontrollable."**__ I'd appreciate it so much if you left a review. It only has a preface right now, but I swear, the story line is great!!_

* * *

I crawled up the stairs lethargically when I got home, not even speaking a word to Charlie as I made my way to my bedroom. Dumping books onto my bed, I scrawled my homework assignments out, not caring whether the answers were correct or not. _He_ was the one who helped me on my homework. What point was there if I knew I was most likely going to waste my time trying to get to the right answer?

I hardly put any energy into making Charlie's dinner, and he noticed my behavior somewhat.

"Are you alright, Bella?" he asked me as I served him his food.

I pasted on a smile. "I'm fine, Dad."

"You sure? You seem a little down tonight."

"Just tired, I guess."

I'm not sure if he accepted that explanation or just gave up, but he soon changed the subject. "So, how was La Push Sunday? I didn't really get to talk to you, it was so late," he smiled.

I knew he wasn't complaining about when I decided to come back home. Actually, he was so excited for me to meet up with Jacob Black and make our little reunion that he gave me no curfew that night, and just hoped I had a good time.

"It was great. I had fun. We talked with his friends and family and sat in front of a bonfire."

"I see you didn't fall in," he chuckled. I didn't think it was all that funny, seeing as how I very nearly succeeded in doing so.

After he ate and I did the dishes, I climbed my way back up the stairs.

"Goodnight, Bella," he called up to me from the living room.

"Goodnight." I wasn't sure if he heard me or not, but I didn't care.

A long hot shower and a couple of Advil –for my headache, I swear –later, I was laying on my back, staring at the ceiling, trying to understand what I accomplished that day:

1. Embarrassed myself in the cafeteria yelling about how I didn't need _him_.

2. Convinced _him_ that I had a boyfriend, who was his number one enemy, even after all these years.

3. Witnessed _him_ driving Rosalie to a date.

Yeah, my day was just peachy.

A dreamless sleep came and went all too quickly, and as my alarm went off, I still felt worn out and exhausted.

I had no reason to look incredibly wonderful that day, but decided, for the sake of my peers, to not look like an absolute mess. I threw on a plain brown tee shirt and an old raggedy pair of jeans Alice swore she was going to burn one of these days. My hair wasn't something I even wanted to touch, let alone tame, but I put it in a messy bun, sliding a thin black headband on.

"Descent enough," I whispered to myself.

I quickly walked outside. I wasn't used to driving in my truck. _He_ took me everywhere I wanted with me, so there wasn't any point in wasting gas. My truck's loud engine shook me. When I regained my composure, I left the driveway for school.

Stepping out of my car and going towards the building, I didn't see either _him_ or Rosalie as I went to English.

Alice was already there in class, but didn't say anything to me at first. She only starred as I made my was to my desk.

As Mr. Mason went on about –I think I heard "pop quiz," but I could have been wrong –Alice turned to me. "I'm really sorry," she said, seeming to say it with pure honesty. I felt pity in her voice.

I was confused. What pain had she caused me? "For what?"

"For not being there for you yesterday. I heard he's with her now. I should have called you. I knew you'd be hurt, but I went out with Jasper instead. I'm a horrible friend."

I chuckled. "You are _not_ a horrible friend, Alice Cullen."

"But I didn't even text you." She sighed, disappointed with herself, but then smiled. "I'll make it up to you: Sleepover at my house tonight."

I looked at her skeptically. The last place I wanted Edward to see me was on his own turf where he would only succeed in hating me more. "Alice-"

"He's staying with Jasper, don't worry. I planned it all out."

I had no excuse to turn her down, no matter how much I wanted to avoid any contact with people. I didn't feel like doing anything except locking my bedroom door and wallowing in my own self pity.

"I'll be there," I responded.

Jess couldn't seem able to fond over Rosalie enough during Spanish. Whether she was happy or simply jealous –I suspected the latter –she didn't make too obvious. Rosalie didn't seem to say much, though she did briefly describe how _he_ had said _he_ was sorry for avoiding her for so long.

All of that was bearable.

What wasn't bearable was seeing him sit at Rosalie's table at lunch. My eyes burned and my heart seemed to have been kicked, squeezed, and stabbed as he draped his arm over her shoulders, occasionally leaning and whispering something in her ear as she laughed mindlessly.

"Who needs him, anyways?" Angela comforted with a strong voice.

_I do_, I thought, but I managed a dry chuckle. I was quickly learning to become an actress for the benefit of my friends and family.

"Emmett, are you alright?" I heard Alice say.

I looked up to Emmett, who seemed unusually quiet, his eyes sad. "What's wrong with you?" I asked him. "You'll see him later, won't you?" I assumed he was angry that Edward was sitting somewhere else.

"It's not about that, Bella." His voice was so low, I could hardly hear it over the roar of the lunchroom.

"Then… Oh." I remembered.

He loved Rosalie.

He joked about how he didn't get why Edward wouldn't go out with her and that he surely would, but really, as I thought about it, he was only jealous that her attentions fell upon deaf ears. He, like most every guy at that school, had a thing for her. What was different with Emmett was the fact that he hadn't _stopped_ having a thing for her. Most everyone who declared that she was the hottest girl in school quickly got over it and moved on, only thinking of her as a pretty face.

I felt selfish for thinking I was the only one affected by Edward's decisions, and guilty that I had a partial hand in the pairing. Not a huge hand, of course; I doubted he could ever be that much affected by me.

"It's okay, Bella," he said, looking up at my distraught face. "Like Angela said, who needs them, right?"

I think we both realized the answer to that question.

* * *

_What do you think: __**Bella**__ or __**Edward**__ point of view next chapter…? Or maybe __**Emmett**__'s…?_

_Cocoa_


	9. Perspectives

_Thanks for all the reviews!! Over 20 for the last chapter!! Keep giving me feedback, even as the story winds down to the end. Here's a treat: A long Edward POV _**plus **_a little bit of Emmett's (thanks _**Mrs. Edward A. Masen Cullen**_ for giving me the idea!). I hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**Edward POV**

"Maybe we could go out for dinner tonight," I said in Rosalie's ear during lunch. My arm was currently around her shoulder, her wavy blond hair tickling my arm.

She giggled sweetly, almost absent mindlessly. "That would be nice," she smiled, taking a bite out of her salad.

I could feel someone staring at me. I looked up in the direction, and there laid a pair of brown eyes, looking at me dejectedly. At my eyes meeting hers, she changed her stare toward Emmett, who she talked quietly to.

That could not have been sadness I saw in Bella's stare. She hated me, absolutely hated me. She didn't need me anymore. She had said that herself. Her and Jacob… Jacob and Bella… _My_ Bella…

I sighed audibly.

Who was I joking? I was holding Rosalie in my arms when I couldn't help but pray this was a nightmare, or I'd even be able to accept if it were opposite day. Bella was the one who I was supposed to be taking to a nice restaurant, not Rosalie.

"Are you alright, Edward?" I heard Rosalie interrupt my thoughts.

I smiled. ""Yes, I'm fine."

"So," Jessica Stanley said all of a sudden, "what restaurant will you guys be going to?" She seemed excited about it, as if it were her rather than Rosalie going out.

"I'm not sure yet. I guess it will be spontaneous," I laughed.

"How romantic," I heard a sarcastic voice say, hatred filling her tone.

"No need to be jealous, Tanya," Jess said. "You had your turn. Now it's Rosalie's."

Tanya chuckled dryly. "So you think it'll be _you _next?" she laughed.

Jess stared at her hands, and then looked up at Rosalie, looking half guilty. "I'm happy for you Rosalie," she smiled. "You're lucky to finally get what you want."

Rosalie seemed to speak in a quiet manner, "Yes, I'm lucky. I always get what I want." If I knew right, I would say she talked with… was it regret?

Before I could intervene with questions, however, the bell went off for us to change classes.

I wasn't looking forward to biology. We had a state mandated lab today, and I knew I wasn't going to be able to concentrate let alone civilly work with Bella, knowing she only wanted to be as far from me as possible.

I arrived there, and she came in soon after. Surprisingly, she didn't sit in the far corner of the table like I suspected. She sat at a normal, two feet difference from me. I was originally happy for the change in space, until she put her brown hair over her shoulder, creating a barrier from me from seeing her face completely.

Mr. Banner went on about the normal safety lab procedures. We would be looking at the structure of an onion cell, he said, comparing the effect of salt water on it. It was a simple enough task, and there were only a few things we had to fill out on the paper.

When he was finished talking, I said to Bella quietly, "I'll go get the materials."

The second it escaped my mouth, I realized that this was the first thing I had said something to her since the whole argument yesterday at lunch. Wait… was it really only _twenty-four hours_? Why did it seem like it resembled a month rather than a tortured day?

She had sounded so hurt as she asked me little questions yesterday during class. I even selfishly ignored her when she needed a piece of paper. I had become so hurt by her yesterday, and yet it seemed obsolete now that I got my head together.

She nodded her head, and I walked to get the slides, samples, and microscope, along with the other materials.

We pretty much worked independently, her putting the wet slides together as I adjusted them under the microscope. We observed after the other, sketching and labeling drawings by ourselves. We finished before the rest of the class, and sat in silence.

I needed to say something to her. I needed to do something. But what?

What could I say to Bella? Tell her off in place of the silent treatment I had been giving her? That certainly was not mature, not that I was being very grown up about the whole thing in the first place. I was stupid to have stormed out at lunch yesterday. I was foolish to have tried to inflict the pain she had given me the day before. What was I gaining from this ordeal? A stubborn attitude and an obnoxious demeanor was all I could find.

Oh, yes, and Rosalie. I cannot forget about my new girlfriend.

I wondered to myself if any other girl had asked me out at that place and time instead of her, would I have said yes. The thing of it was that Rosalie and Tanya were the only ones who consistently "flirted" with me, and would have the animosity to even ask me out. I definitely would not have gone out with Tanya again.

In all reality, maybe I was supposed to be with Rosalie.

Now, that was the dumbest thought ever to have crossed my mind. The girl I belonged with was with someone else. My best friend was the love of my life, and yet, I wasn't enough for her.

I looked at the clock, and noticed that the bell was about to go off.

"I'm sorry," I heard a voice mumble next to me.

I felt like my ears were deceiving me. I looked over at Bella who was staring at her folded hands that seemed to be shaking.

"What?" I asked her.

She finally looked up at me, her eyes seeming about to brim over with tears and her cheeks immensely red. "I'm sorry I made you angry yesterday," her voice cracked.

The bell rang, and quicker than I thought was possible for her, Bella fled from the room and went to gym class.

I was stunned as I walked to my AP calculus class. The image of Bella crying, looking like she was in so much pain, knowing for a fact I had done this to her, was following me like a night terror that haunted someone the entire day. An angel seemed to have reached her breaking point, and I, who had to have been a demon, caused it.

I was at a loss as to what to do. I could break up with Rosalie, but what would that do? Bella didn't care whether or not I was available because even before all these instances, I knew she didn't care for me as I did for her. She was my friend –best friend, before even Emmett and Jasper –but I always wanted more, Even at that party, I nearly confessed to her, just before Jacob came to interrupt.

I wished things could go back to the way things were; when simple things would make her blush instead of crying silently in class for God knows how long. Back when I made her smile, the most beautiful image my eyes have ever seen. Or make her laugh, the sweetest sound my ears had ever enjoyed.

She had taken over my senses, things that made me who I was. I hurt her.

But I could not break up with Rosalie. False comfort or not, she was who I asked out, and if my parents taught me one thing while I was growing up, it was old school manners towards people.

This false façade shielded me as I made my way to Rosalie as she stood next to her red convertible.

She smiled at the sight of me and kissed my cheek, wrapping her arms around my neck. "Hey, Edward," she spoke quietly in my ear.

I rested my arms on her waist. "Hello, Rosalie."

She pulled away a little, leaning her back on her car. "So, did you figure out where we're going tonight?"

"I was thinking about this Italian dinner place in Port Angeles. It got great reviews."

She smiled. "I love Italian," she said happily.

I stood in front of her and kissed her forehead, encasing her in my arms against the car. Maybe pretending wouldn't be so bad. Rosalie seemed all too willing to be happy with me.

I looked down at her, and she seemed anxious, more so then I had ever seen the confident Rosalie. "What's wrong?"

"Am I pretty?" she asked shyly.

I sighed, but made sure to smile. She was still the shallow Rosalie, obsessed with physical beauty, I had known. "Yes, of course you're pretty, Rosalie."

"Is that why you finally agreed to go out with me?"

I didn't want to make this anymore complicated. "Yes. You were too pretty to resist." I kissed her lips gently. "Is that a good answer?"

She smiled. "It'll manage," She turned and got in her car, starting its engine. "I'll see you soon."

"I'll pick you up at 5:30."

She rolled off.

I got in my car –no sign of Bella; whether that was heaven because I had just kissed Rosalie and did not want to face her or Hell because I wanted to see her, I wasn't sure –and drove to Emmett's house before going home. He lived closer to school, and his car was already missing from the parking lot.

He hadn't talked to me yesterday, or today even. I thought it odd, especially when he didn't even pick me for his volleyball team in gym class. We had been friends to no end, and all of a sudden, he was sending me death glares when he thought I wasn't looking. I most certainly thought it had to do with Bella. He was her "big brother." Maybe when I hurt her, he wanted to hurt me, too.

I knocked on the door, and he came, glaring at me.

"What are you doing here?" he said dryly.

I sighed. "C'mon, Emmett. I'm sorry for whatever I did to you. Please forgive me."

He slammed the door.

I got angry. "Emmett, quit acting like a kid!"

He opened the door quickly, sucking the breath from the outside in and I stumbled. "I'm being a kid?" he said laughing with no humor. "Do you even know what you're apologizing for?"

"For hurting Bella?"

He grunted. "Everything is you and Bella. Everything! I never cared because all of us are friends. But to toy with people's minds is something different."

I was confused as to what exactly he was talking about. "What are you talking about?"

"All you think about is you and Bella's problems. Now, I love Bella. She's pretty much the little sis I never had. But for you to put _her_ into your problems is childish. You don't even care about her."

I was defensive. "I love Bella, you know that." He and Jasper were the only ones who I told that.

He got angry. "I'm not talking about Bella. I'm talking about Rosalie!"

I was quiet.

"Why do you care about Rosalie?" I asked skeptically.

"I love her!" he screamed right in my face. "How do you not know that? Do you have selective hearing or something? I've been telling you how much I'd kill to be you, to have her want me like that. I've loved her since she moved here. That has never changed!

"All she wanted was you. Now that you're hers, she won't need anyone else," he said quietly.

He lowered his tone to the point where it was threatening. "If you hurt Rosalie, I swear, Edward Cullen, it will be the last thing you ever do." And with that, he turned and slammed the door.

He loved Rosalie?

I didn't know what was worse: me breaking up with her and Rosalie getting her –and then, _I_ would get hurt –or keep going out with her. He never told me I could no longer go out with her, so I went with the latter, where only I suffered. It was the better option.

Right?

I didn't mean to hurt Emmett, I really didn't. He was my good friend, and I suppose I ignored the fact that he had feelings for Rosalie, more than the other guys at school. They only talked about her as an object, and I seemed to be no different.

Thoughts went rushing through my head as I tried to get home quickly, missing the comfort of my own room. When I finally got to my room and lay on my couch in a half asleep trance while blasting music, someone suddenly came in. My eyes were closed, so I didn't know who to blame for turning off the music.

I took a wild guess. "Get out, Alice."

She ripped my hands from my face and looked at me angrily. "She apologized!?" she screamed.

"If you're talking about Bella, yes. She said she was sorry."

She shook her head. "I can't believe it. It's just like Bella to do something to help others. And you made her cry in biology!"

"I didn't know she was crying at the time!"

"But you caused it! You're to blame. Edward, she's hurting!"

"You think I don't realize that?" I said loudly.

"No, I think you don't _understand_ that. Her best friend betrayed her."

"And she hasn't done the same to me? She's going out with Jacob."

She scoffed. "So this is revenge, then? You going out with Rosalie is your way to get back at Bella?"

"Rosalie is a good-"

"She's not meant for you, no matter what she may think otherwise, and you know it. To hurt Bella, to hurt _Emmett_, an innocent bystander…"

"How'd you know-"

"It doesn't take a genius to see how much he cares about Rosalie." She sighed. "You need to talk to Bella. A _real _conversation, please. Otherwise, stay away from her. I don't want her hurt anymore than she has been. She shouldn't have to apologize just because she wants everything to be as it was." She walked towards the door.

Just before she opened it to leave, she said quietly so I almost couldn't hear," By the way, she's not going out with Jacob, idiot." She left.

I was stunned. Bella wasn't with him?

--

**Emmett's POV**

I drove fast to her house, car part and two bouquets of flowers ready.

Rosalie and I had formed a unique sort of friendship, if you called it that. See, my dad sold car manufacturing parts. When I was younger, I remembered Rosalie coming into the shop, her beauty making her stand out from the dark store. She and her father came and bought parts for his car mechanics store.

Rosalie had a habit of fixing cars up, too. Even with cars that were perfectly fine, she fiddled with new parts on it. Other times, when a new part came in I thought she'd like, I'd drive over and give it to her.

That's how I came to know the real Rosalie.

Most people don't bother looking past her physical features. She was sweet for one thing, especially when she was in her most comfortable environment: the garage. She had a slight temper, yes, but she could easily forgive someone if she trusted them. The problem with that was that I could only think of a few people she trusted. Besides me, I could only think of a few instances where Jess was making amends, if only to stay on Rosalie's good side.

We had never talked about our relationship –would that be the word? –outside of her garage and my store. It was almost an unspoken agreement that we wouldn't. She and I became friends, but that was all, no matter how many times I wished for her to forget about Edward, or any guy, for that matter. But they never came up on our "dates" –now, I was just pushing it. It was just her, me, and a car.

I knocked on her front door, and her father came to the door. He smiled when he saw me. "Hey, Emmett. She's out back, go figure."

"Thank you, Mr. Hale."

I turned to go. "Oh, Emmett?" I heard him say.

"Yes?"

He pointed to the flowers. "Thanks for remembering. No one else does."

I nodded proudly. "I always do, sir."

I went around back, and saw her at ends with a Honda Accord. "Hi, Rose."

She looked up at me, a smear of black oil on her cheek. She smiled vaguely at the flowers. "You remembered."

I shook my head and laughed. "Of course I remembered. How could I forget?" I held them to her. "Daisies for Daisy and Roses for Rosie."

Daisy was Rosalie's mother. She had died a year after they got here. She and Rosalie had gotten in a car accident, and her mother died instantly. Today was not only her birthday, but Rose's, too. They had a great bond with each other, and the fact that they were both named after flowers in someway was no coincidence.

She took the daisies and put them next to her mother's picture. "I'll put those at the cemetery later." She smiled at her own flowers. "Red roses? You usually get something less conventional."

"I was running out of colors." I had gotten her different colored Roses every year; pink, yellow, orange. I even had some blue ones dyed last year.

Red was going to be this year's theme.

She laughed as she took them, inhaling their scent. "Thank you, Emmett."

I held up her car part, wrapped in a red ribbon.

She gasped. "I didn't even know this came out yet."

"I had it specially ordered."

She took it in her hands and looked at the engine part with admiration. She set both her flowers and present on a nearby table. "Oh, Emmett," she wrapped her arms around my neck, "thank you. You're the best. No one remembers my birthday, let alone my mother's, besides you and my father. Thank you."

She seemed to want to pull away and slid her hand to push her body away, but I held her tightly along her waist.

She put her arms back around my neck. "Emmett," she whispered worriedly, "are you alright?"

"Are you honestly happy with him?"

She knew what I was talking about.

"He's what I always wanted."

"Really?"

She was silent.

"Because I thought you wanted something special, someone who always understood you. Someone your mother would approve of. That's what you told me with everyone else you dated."

"My mom would approve of Edward."

"But if she saw you with him, how he doesn't care for you like you should be…"

She pulled away a little to look at my face. "He's a good guy."

I chuckled dryly. I was a man of action, and yet, this would be the second speech I'd make today. "Rosalie, I don't understand. I've been here for everything for you. I care about you like no one else does, and I know things about you no one else does."

She shook her head and smiled weakly.

"I mean it. Like how when you smile,_ really _smile, you have this dimple on the left side of your lip. Or that you hate holidays because you can't help out your dad at the shop, pulling your hair up into a hat and wearing baggy clothes, pretending to be a guy so no one recognizes you. Or that no one can call you Rosie, hardly even Rose, without a second glance because that's what your family calls you; No one but your family and _me_."

"Emmett…"

I held her face in my hands and looked into her eyes. "Rosalie, I love you like no one else does, like no one else dares. I love you."

She was quiet a moment. Then, she said, "Do you think I'm pretty, Emmett?"

I smiled. Her superficial questions about her had real meaning and significance. She wanted an honest answer, and she wanted it to be the right answer for _her,_ one she could accept.

"Rosalie, I _know_ you're the most beautiful person, inside and out, that has walked this earth. You're a sweet should that people don't appreciate like they should."

Water escaped from her tear ducks. I wiped them and smiled. "Please don't cry, baby."

"Emmett," she whispered, "you usually aren't one for words. You usually act instead, I thought." She smiled wryly from underneath her moist eyelashes.

Then I did something I didn't think Edward was going to be happy about. He was my friend, yes, but this was _my _Rosie, as she always had been, as she always would be. I may have been selfish, but I wanted her. I needed her.

I kissed her. And nothing could've tasted sweeter.

* * *

_**Gasp! Is Emmett bad for having kissed Rose? Is he selfish, like he thinks? What will Edward do now that he knows Bella lied? Comment and review!**_

_Read "Uncontrollable." Listen to Phases. Oh, _**check out my poll on my user page**_… Seriously, it's important… It pretty much decides _**EVERYTHING**_ that'll happen the rest of the story (yes, one question can do stuff like that!)._

_Cocoa_


	10. Apologize

_Thanks to everyone who voted in the polls and reviewed. It seemed everyone really loved Emmett's love confession! The poll was so close; only seperated by 2 votes! By the way who else is totally pumped about __**Breaking **__**Dawn**__ and all the Twilight movie extravaganza!! I don't know about you, but I for one cannot wait!_

* * *

**BPOV**

I knocked on the Cullen's door slowly, not in the least bit excited about staying the night there. As if just the sight of Edward didn't hurt me enough, now I would be in his own house. Regardless of whether he would be there or not -though Alice assured me time and time again that he would be staying over at Jasper's for the night -I didn't want to be where he had already been.

She came to the door quickly, looking excited. She pulled me in and shut the door. I could see through her usually excited expression to there was what resembled a worried look.

"Alice, what's wrong?" I immediately thought the worst. "He isn't here, is he?" My hand went to the doorknob, ready to leave at the drop of a hat.

"No, no," she said, "he left a few minutes ago. It's just..."

"What, Alice?"

She looked guilty. "I think you _might _be happy. Well, you _should_be happy, at least, but I don't know. Everything is always backwards with you."

"Alice?" I was growing agitated.

"Okay, okay. I sort of.. I kinda... I think I told Edward you weren't going out with Jacob."

I stared at her. "What?" I said quietly, feeling color draining from my face.

"Don't be angry, please. He might've not even heard me."

"Alice, we talked about this!" I pratically screamed, I was that angry. "I was going to tell him tomorrow, after I apologized and we were friends again, but only if he asked about it. Besides, he shouldn't even care whether I'm seeing someone or not. He's just my friend." I sighed. "He _was_ my friend."

"You guys are still the dorky friends you've always been," she laughed, amused by my anger, most definitely. "You two are just more stubborn, is all." She led me up the stairs to her room, calling out to Carlise and Esme that I was here.

I set my stuff on the floor next to my bed -yes, I had my own bed in Alice's room. After so many sleepovers, she practically insisted her parents to get me one -and sat on top of it.

Alice sat down next to me. "I'm telling you, he _seriously _cares about whether you're seeing someone or not."

I sighed. I knew what she was getting at. "Impossible."

She grunted in frustration. "Why are you two so _stupid_? He cares about you like crazy, you care about him like crazy! I'm sick of watching you guys with that 'ga ga' look at each other like you two are the only ones in the room. Nobody has the guts to say something about it. It's time you two make up and get together."

I finally looked up at her, anger emoting from deep within me. "It's not that simple, and you know it. You have no idea what it's like for me! I've put on this facade since the third grade. I love him, and so does everyone else in this damn town! I'm lucky I get to spend time with him at all. I'm lucky to be his best friend. I should be happy with that."

"But I know for a fact that you're not," Alice said, holding a tissue out at me. I hadn't even realized I was crying, but I put the tissue to good use either way.

"You're right," she continued. "I don't know what it's like to be in love with my friend I've had since preschool, but I understand reluctance to get the guy you want. It took me three years to finally say something to Jasper, and you of all people understand how hard that was for me."

"How did you know asking him out was the right thing to do?"

"That's the thing; I didn't. I just thought 'What if I never ask him? What if someone else is waiting for him?"

"Someone better?" I knew that feeling.

She didn't. "No, not better. Maybe someone who I think is prettier, or smarter, or taller," she laughed quietly, "but never better. I know no one could care about him like I do. If he ended up choosing me, it would be because he thinks I _am_ pretty and smart and tall enough.

"That's how I knew I had to say something."

"And that dream," I chuckled.

She smiled. "And that dream."

I sat a moment, collecting my thoughts. "So you think I should say something?"

"That's entirely up to you, Bella."

For once in my life, I needed a better answer than that, "If you were in my position, what would you do?"

She shook her head and smiled. "I'm _not _you. You have to figure out if you want to do that."

I sighed. "I'll sleep on it, I guess."

She got up quickly. "Sleep?" she said, putting her hands on her hips. "We will do no such thing!"

From there on, we went on with our usual sleepover party festivities: nail painting, playing with make up -well, Alice playing with make-up on me; she never really grew out of that human Barbie doll fascination since I met her -and then we started talking about guys. We began with celebrity ones, but eventually dwindled and came back to those residing in Forks. I tried my best to simply talk about Tyler or Eric, even Mike at some point, but I ended up openly babbling over Edward. I only stopped and apologized when Alice made a gagging noise, but she laughed loudly.

"I'm kidding, Bella," she said. "It's just odd hearing someone talk about my own twin brother like that; 'beautifully deep emerald eyes, an intelligence like no other, and a laugh the average person can't live without' aren't things I typically notice about him."

She went on to talk about Jasper, and I was surprised to learn that she loved that he seemed to be very in tune to how she was feeling; I hadn't known that he was that deep. We watched "Mean Girls" and ate popcorn until Esme told us to call it a night.

We woke up bright and early the next moring -Alice was always the morning person, and did nothing to make me forget it. That included grabbing my covers from under me and laughed as I slipped onto the floor -and we headed out for school.

I tried my best not to look for him in the parking lot, I honestly did, but I couldn't help it. When I saw that stupid, shiny Volvo as I drove by, my heart palpitated in anxiety to finally apologize to him the next chance I got, most likely during lunch.

We were early for school, and I walked around my building, not having anything else to do. I felt a gentle tap on my shoulder and wiped around to see who it was.

My mouth gaped a little. "What are you doing here?" I asked

Rosalie just looked at me, then sighed. "Look, I just wanted to talk to you for a minute."

"Rosalie, if your here to mock me or something-"

"No, no!" she said quickly. "Really, I'm not. I'm here... to apologize, actually."

My eyebrows folded together. "Apologize?"

She nodded. "I know how much you probably see me ruining everything. I tend to have that rep around here. I know you hate me, which is fine because I guess I kind of deserve it. But... Bella, you're gonna have to say something to him eventually, you know."

"Say something to who?"

She rolled her eyes, but smiled slightly. "Edward. I know you love him- you have for years- but you can't just sit in the background and wait for _him_ to see it. You know how stupid boys can be." It was the first time I heard her laugh in years, without being mean or trying to cause me pain. "He cares about you a lot, and everyone knows it. I don't see how you can't."

I shook my head. "He doesn't care, not anymore. I told him off, remember?"

She looked guilty. "Yeah, I remember. I bet he's forgiven you, though. He doesn't seem like someone who can hold a grudge. He's too nice."

I sat on the bench. "Why are you telling me this? How does it benefit you?"

"Does everyone really think I'm that selfish?" She wasn't angry when she asked. She said it very shyly, almost embarrassed.

I immediatly regretted what I said. It was uncalled for. "I'm sorry. That was mean."

"I understand that you're skeptical and all, and I _am_ kind of doing this for selfish reasons. The first one I should say is that... I broke up with him yesterday."

I looked up at her with disbelief. "_You_ broke up with _Edward_?"

She nodded.

"But.. You... I thought you-"

"Me, too. I thought I wanted him, but I found someone who cares for me. A lot. No offense to Edward, he's a great guy, but I can't really be myself around him."

I tried to digest the info. Rosalie -queen been, beautiful, full of hatred towards me _Rosalie_- was apologizing to me. It reminded me of the friend I used to have so long ago, one that I trusted and spent a lot of time with, enjoying her company with Alice and me. "I still don't understand why you're doing this. What about your image? What about the limelight?"

She sighed and sat beside me. "I'll get over, I guess, though I think I'll always love attention. I don't think me not being friends with you made me improve my imge at all. It might've even made it worse. But that doesn't matter. I know this won't fix everything I've done to you, Alice, and Edward, but I have to admit..." she playfully nudged me choulder and chuckled. "I kind of miss you guys."

"Really?"

"You guys- and Emmett, of course- were the only friends that have ever mattered to me. I miss what we had a lot."

I almost felt like crying, that's how emotional I felt right then and there, now that I had been reunnited with a friend I thought I had lost forever, only to have her pratically begging for my forgiveness.

But I had to say one thing, because after all I did to everyone around me, I had to do my best to set things right. "Rosalie, I don't know who exactly is the the guy you are talking about, but Emmett-"

She smiled, "It is Emmett."

I smiled excidely. My "brother" would get his girl. "It really is him?"

She nodded. "That's the other reason I'm doing this, too, the more selfish one. I know that he wouldn't want me to be mean to his little sister. He didn't put me up to it, but I figured it would help." She sighed quietly. "He said he loved me, you know," she said in a dreamy voice.

I didn't realize he had admitted that to her, though I knew it was a true statement. "No, I didn't."

"I was supposed to go out with Edward yesterday in Port Angeles, but Emmett came over, and pretty much told me off and confessed his love to me at the same time," she chuckled. "He said no one can love me like he can."

She sighed. "I can be myself around him. I really do love him. I ended up breaking it to Edward last night because I felt guilty about being in love with someone else while dating him. Not that he wasn't doing the same thing, but-"

"Edward's in love?" I choked. Rosalie would tell me the straight truth without being biased. That was something that people had a hard time dealing with around her. She was just so honest with that it sometimes hurt people. It was something I had always respected her for, though, even if it was aimed at me.

"Yes, Bella, he's very much in love. I knew that when I asked him out, but I ignored it."

The bell went off for us to get to class.

She stood up as I did. "So, we can start over?" I asked her, holding my hand out for her to shake.

She, in fact, didn't take it. Instead, she hugged me tightly. When she pulled back, she smiled. "I'll see you in Spanish, Bella." She walked quickly down the hall to class, her high heels clinking with every step.

I walked into my room and took my seat, class not starting yet.

Alice turned to me. "Where were you? Someone told me that Rosalie was talking to you."

"She apologized."

She eyed me curiously. "Rosalie? _Apologize_?"

"Weird, huh?" I smiled. "And her and Edward broke up."

Her eyes went wide. Then she smiled. "He broke up-"

"She broke up with him."

Alice looked as if she couldn't fathom the idea. "What?"

"She wants to be friends again, Alice."

Now, Alice was skeptical. "Rosalie apologizing _and_ breaking up with the guys she's been after since she got here? Why would she do that?"

"She's in love," I smiled. "It makes you do odd things, I suppose."

She frowned. "I better warn Emmett."

"It is Emmett."

Her eyes sparkled, as I imagined mine did. She claped her hands together. "Finally, he gets what he wants for once. He deserves to have the girl of his dreams, right?"

"Of course." I only wished I could say the same thing about my situation.

Even with this explanation I could still tell Alice was wary to believe everything was alright with the girl who presumedly hated our guts. She put an end to her speculation after my Spanish class, the only period besides lunch that I had with Rosalie. Alice met us up outside our room door and crossed her arms, staring at Rosalie.

She smiled meekly. "Hi, Alice."

Alice put on her best serious face. "Hello, Rosalie."

There was a pause. Rosalie broke the silence. "Did Bella tell you?"

"Yes."

Another moment. I wasn't sure, but I suspected Alice was waiting for Rosalie to say something important. "I'm sorry I've been so horrible to you. I miss our sleepovers a lot. You were my favorite shopping buddy, too," Rosalie laughed, "especially since Bella never liked to go. Has that changed at all?"

Alice finally smiled. "No, that hasn't changed."

It seemed all was right at that moment. The three of us recieved odd looks as we walked down the hallway together to the lunch room and entered the cafeteria. I didn't blame them; this was the first time in years that we were walking along with each other. Civillaly, nonetheless.

As we stood in line for food, Alice said to Rosalie, " I suppose you'll want to sit at our table then." She pretended to be annoyed with the idea.

Rosalie didn't catch the joke. "Only if it's okay."

Alice finally laughed and gave her a quick hug. "I'm only joking. We'll have to make room for Emmett's new beau." Alice sighed. "You're going out with him, huh?"

Rosalie stated, a sheepish smile on her face, "I really do love him."

Alice nodded. "That's sweet." She seemed to think of something, then laughed. "I wonder how my brother will feel with his ex sitting at our lunch table."

"I hope I don't make anything awkward. I told him everything last night. We took this walk around the block while Emmett waited for me at my house. They talked to each other, too, just to make sure the other knew that there weren't any hard feelings between the two of them before Edward went off to Jasper's house."

"Were you disappointed tha t they didn't fight dirty?" Alice laughed. "I know how you used to always wish guys would fight over you."

Rosalie smiled widely, thinking about our good times in the past. "I would think so, too. I was a little mad Edward let me go so easily, but overall, I was just happy to be with Emmett. Besides, I figure Edward will put his new avaliability to work; it's not going to last long if you ask me." She looked at me from the corner of her eye, as Alice did.

"What?" I asked.

They both chuckled. "Oh, nothing, Bella," Rosalie said.

We got our food and made our way to the table. Lauren and Tanya glared as we alked by, and Jessica looked as if she longed to leave with us.

Emmett pratically jumped out of his chair when he saw Rosallie walking with us and immediatly pulled a seat up next to where he was sitting. She thanked him quietly and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, which caused his face to turn a firey red.

I laughed at the sight. "And you mock me for blushing. Look at you!"

He smiled, jokingly telling me to shut up, and put his arm around her shoulder as Edward used to do. The difference in that was that Emmett and Rosalie semed to fit together like two puzzle pieces; her leaning into his arm and him playng with a lock of her hair seemed natural. Although I didn't entirely understand how they could fall for each other in a less than twenty four hour period, I did not ask any questions. It was their buisness, and I could not have been happier for the two of them.

A familar hand set on my shoulder, and the person's voice whispered in my ear quitely, "Can I talk to you?"

Goosebumps went down my spine as I turned around to look up to Edward. I nodded slowly and got up from my seat. I followed him as he led me through the lunch room doors and into a locker filled hallway.

When he stopped walking and leaned against a locker, I stood in front of him. He stared down at his sneakers as he said, "Bella, I-"

"I want to say something, Edward," I interuppted.

He nodded and waited patiently for me to speak, just like the gentleman he was.

I took a deep breath. I had rehearsed this so many times in my head, but to actually do it would be a different matter. "Edward, I'm sorry. I know I already said that to you yesterday, but I really am so sorry. I've been a bad friend to you. I know you and Rosalie broke up already, but I should've supported your decision instead of giving you the cold shoulder. I just want everything to be like it was before. I was okay with us. We're best friends. We shouldn't let stupid arugments change that, or let other people get in the way of a great relationship we've had for so many years.

"And I can't even put into words how sorry I am for lying about Jacob. I don't know what was going through my head. I was just angry, I guess. You're always so protective of me all the time, and I don't understand why. But I hope you can forgive me for being so stupid."

He finally looked up to me and smiled. I took is as a good omen and held my hand up to him to shake, the second time I had made this gesture that day. "Friends?" I smiled.

The smile that he had slowly left his face. "It's not that easy anymore, Bella."

My hand went down to my side slowly, not sure what to do with itself. What did he mean by that? Did I honestly mess everything we ever had up just because I could not stand the fact that I was never going to be enough for him? Maybe he had finally found out that I loved him, and he knew he couldn't be in a friendship where there was unrequiented love concerned.

I looked down at my feet as a tear rolled down the cheek. I was losing Edward, the one thing I never wanted to do. All because I wanted to take one final last stand for our friendship; all because I loved him too much.

* * *

_That's the end of the chapter. Poor Bella, feeling so worthless. Do you feel bad that she has seemingly NO self esteem? Is Rosalie apologizing absurd? Did Alice give Bella a good wake up call?_

_Anyways, for next chappie, should it be __**Edward's **__POV for his thoughts while he talks to Bella, or __**Bella's **__POV for her thoughts while he tells her? It's going to be the final chapter besides the epilogue, so choose wisely!_

_**Read**__ "Uncontrollable",__** listen **__to Phases: A Twilight Podcast, and __**REVIEW**__!!_

_Cocoa_


	11. Standing

_Wow. 97 reviews on this story. That's amazing! Thanks and enjoy!_

* * *

Third Person POV

Edward didn't understand the expression going across Bella's face. As her hand went to her side slowly, it seemed her brown eyes could not get any wider with horror and confusion. She was very obviously hurt by what he said. She quickly looked down from his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he said with urgency, taking a step forward to her. He would have liked to be the one in pain in place of her. He would do most anything to make sure Bella was never hurt. Now, he was the one who caused it.

Even as he apologized, Bella stared down at her worn out shoes, not sure what to do with herself. She loved him, and because she made one stupid mistake -well, a few _awful_ blunders -she would lose the best friend she'd had for so long.

"Bella, please look at me," he said, his voice quietly begging her to do so.

She finally did, but he didn't like the sight as much as he usually did. Her eyes were brimming with tears, seeming about ready to burst.

"Bella..." He wasn't sure where to start with this. He had to say it, of course, but he had no idea how to go about doing so. Would he simply throw the L word out at her, seeing if she would catch it and return the favor? Should he wait on telling her _any_ of it, holding off on a deep, dark secret he had since he was eight and realized Bella was the one and only girl in the whole wide world with no cooties?

He tried to do what he thought was right, and so, he simply spoke from his heart, which essentially was hers in the first place.

"It's not that easy to be friends with you," he smiled sadly. "It's hard to be with you, to see you all the time, and knowing that this isn't what I want. I'm your best friend, but I don't know how much longer I can keep up with this charade."

A tear finally escaped from its duck on Bella's face. "You don't like me. Is that it?" she said quietly. "I knew you couldn't like me." She knew she wasn't good enough to be with him. Every once in awhile, she even thought she wasn't honorable enough to share the same _space_ as him. It wasn't a self loathing characteristic as much as it was a hopeless reality to her; she could never be with him, and she knew it. It was just hard to hear him finally say it to her face.

"Like you?" He eyed her curiously. He sighed. "I suppose I don't like you. Not the way you think." He laid a hand on her cheek, wiping away the tear. "People don't like others who consume their every thought, their every being, who become intertwined with who they are. People don't like others who they imagine growing old with, hoping they'd stay with them through life."

She was confused. "I don't understand," she said quietly. He said he didn't like her. Hadn't she heard that admitted from his lips? If that were so, why had he been just describing what sounded to her as a confession? "You don't like me?"

He smiled, one of those heart breaking gorgeous ones the average person -including Bella -couldn't help but stare at. He spoke so softly, she had to lean towards him to better hear the words that escaped without warning. "Isabella, I love you."

Her heart did not skip a beat, like most girls. Her heart very simply stopped moving.

He wasn't sure what to do now that he had finally said it. He looked down at her face, the confused expression coming back to her face.

"What?" she managed to say to him. She had to make sure she heard correctly.

"I love you, Bella."

So she _had_ heard him right. But something had to be wrong with the statement. Maybe he felt sorry for her. Yes, she decided, pity could drive someone to lie like that. Edward was only human, and as compassionate as he had always been, he would go at any lengths to help someone, even if her were lying.

But the way he was looking at her, the way his green eyes were practically imprinting on her soul and heart, she had the impression that he was being more honest with her than he ever had.

But he wasn't _in_ love with her, Bella concluded. He just loved her. That was all. Love could be classified into so many different categories. Surely even she was in one of his.

"Like a friend, right?" she said finally.

He shook his head and chuckled nervously. "No, not a friend. That's the whole problem."

"Like a sister, then?"

"Alice and Emmett love you like that. I _love_ you. I'm in love with you, Bella. I have been since we were kids. You're my secret crush I've had for so long, too long. We're 17 years old. It's about time I fess up to it."

He didn't know what to make of her silence. Maybe she was stunned. He thought he had tried to ease it on her as best he could manage. He was put into even more confusion when more tears started to flow down her face and some landing on his own hand, where it was still laying on her cheek.

Maybe he should not have said anything.

"You love me?" she asked him, her voice cracking twice.

"Yes."

"But you... I..." She couldn't finish her sentences and tried to wipe her eyes as best she could with her sleeve, brushing his hand away from her face gently.

He sighed and pulled her into a protective embrace, his arms wrapping around her body as her tears dampened his shirt.

"This can't be possible," he heard her mumble.

"Why is it so impossible?" She didn't believe him. That must have meant she cared about the fact, even just a little bit. Maybe even...

"You can't love me."

He pulled her back and looked down at her face. "How could I _not_ fall for you? You mean everything to me. If anything happened to you, I don't know what I would do with myself. I guess that's part of the reason I didn't want you to go out with Jacob."

"He's a good guy, Edward. That fight was years ago because you two couldn't stand each other."

He chuckled. "We couldn't stand to share you. That's why we couldn't stand each other. I wanted you all to myself, and I guess Jacob felt the same." He suddenly shook his head. "No. Not the same. No one cares about you like I do. I know that has to be true."

Bella almost laughed. It sounded so familiar to her friends' new stories on finding love. Rosalie told her that Emmett said no one could love her like he did. Alice said that no one could care for Jasper like she did. Now, Edward was saying the same thing to her.

Spring fever was definitely in action for Bella's clique.

"But being protective isn't a good excuse. I was just jealous that you'd actually found someone to be with besides me. That's why I went with Rosalie. I guess I used her, which wasn't right, either. Not that it ever felt right." He took he hands in his slowly, their fingers entwining with each others. He stared at their hands as he said, "Only you could drive me to insanity like this."

"Edward," she said quietly, "I'm sorry."

He looked back up at her face, displaying a small grin. "You've been apologizing like crazy already. What is it now?"

"I guess I'm sorry I hurt you. With Jacob and everything. I mean, I know I was angry and all but it was mostly because I was angry with _myself_, not you..." She couldn't bring herself to continue and admit the true reason for her behavior a few days ago.

He squeezed her hand in reassurance.

She took a shaky breath "I can't imagine being good enough for you."

There was a silent pause, until Edward finally said in shock, "What?" He seemed almost angry at her at that moment, although he didn't mean for it to come across in that way.

"W-well," she stuttered, taken aback by his tone, "you don't treat me like a real person, like an equal. I'm like a little breakable figurine no one else can touch, like I'm not even a person. I mean, I guess you think I'm not worthy. I can sort of understand that. You're an amazing person, and you could do so much better than me. If not with Rosalie or Tanya, then maybe Lauren or Jessica or-"

She was taken out of her reverie due to Edward quickly putting a hand in either side of her face, forcing her to look him in the eye.

"Don't you ever day that again." He said it softly almost growling at her.

"Say what?"

"Say you're not good enough for me. Do you honestly think that you're not _worthy_ to be with me? That Jessica and Lauren are better than you? Bella, no one could ever be you. You're it for me."

"But I'm not pretty."

He chuckled. "You're beautiful."

Her face seemed to light a fire. "And the blush only makes it better," he snickered.

She ignored his comment. "But I can't walk two feet without tripping over air."

"And I hope I'm always there to catch you. "

She smiled softly. "You usually are. "

"I'm sorry if I don't seem to treat you right. I disdn't realize me being so overprotective would make you think that I didn't care about you. I just never want you hurt. I'll be there to make sure it never happens. If you let me, at least." He whispered the last part.

She was good enough. She was his equal. He was overprotective of her, but only because he cared so much for her. He was jealous of Jacob. He had accepted her apology and forgiven her, even though she couldn't quite understand how. And he loved her. There seemed to be only one thing missing from their cliché moment:

Her answer.

She gave it, in a way she could manage without tripping over her words, without getting side tracked by him staring at her, listening to her rant.

Isabella Swan laid her hands on Edward Cullen's shoulders, pushing herself onto her toes, so that her lips made their descent onto his.

Electricity pulsed rapidly through both their bodies. In one moment, his hands had left her face and went to wrap one on her waist and the other on the back of her neck, pulling her as close to him as he dared. Their lips gave each other the kiss, the release, the understanding they both seemed to need. The passion of their exchanged kisses seemed to be enough to set both their hearts on a fiery course.

When they finally pulled away, Edward set his forehead against Bella's, a sheepish grin on her face, along with a dull pink color that flushed her whole body. "So, you'll let me?" he finally asked, his voice hoarse.

She had forgotten their earlier conversation. "Let you what?" she asked breathless.

"Let me be there for you. Make sure you never get hurt."

"You did that before all this. What'll be the difference now?"

"Now, I want it to be official. I want to be the only one who'll protect you like that. The only one who can touch you like this." He held her tight against him. "The only one who can kiss you like that," he whispered.

This was as close he would get to asking her the blunt question "Will you be my girlfriend?" as he could get to.

Warmth flooded her senses once more as she sighed in content. "Oh, Edward," she said softly, kissing his lips chastely, "I love you so much. I always have, I always will."

"That's all I need, then," he said onto her lips, giving her a more passionate, more confident kiss than before. The first they shared was one out of desperation for her to understand what she meant to him. Now that he knew that she cared just as much, he kissed her lips almost as a seal that this was what he had been waiting for, and the finale he so desperately wanted.

_No, not a finale, _he thought_. This is just the beginning._

A student walking by alerted them to their current setting, and they all but unwillingly realized they were currently at school, in the hallway, as they had been for the past fifteen or so minutes.

"Maybe we should spread the good news," Edward smiled. He let go of her and walked away from her to the cafeteria doors.

He turned around seeing that Bella hadn't left her previous position in the hall and stared at him, not completely ready to face everyone yet. Edward held out his hand for her. A smile going across her face, she walked quickly to set his hand in hers, as it always should stay.

"Time to face the world," she smiled up at him.

Before opening the doors, before facing the eyes of their peers, before the laughter and excitement from their friends would impact them... Before all of this was to take place, Edward stole a kiss upon Bella's cheek, and said happily, "My world is standing right next to me, and what a beautiful world it is."

* * *

_Ta da! The end of a wonderful journey!! Unless readers beg for an epilogue with an idea handy, the story is over. Thank you so much for all the great reviews and encouragement on my very first fanfic!_

_Cocoa_

* * *


End file.
